The present invention relates to a planning assembly for which a two dimensional image or graphical layout can be composed on a substrate from standardized multiple elements. In particular it relates to a space planning assembly preferably for office furniture and the like.
Space planning assemblies are currently in existence on the market to facilitate the planning of office and other furniture within different environments. These space planning kits or assemblies are utilized by sales representatives who visit business sites and create a floor plan from which furniture is be ordered for that business.
One such space planning kit is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,620 issued Apr. 9, 1996. In this space planning assembly, standardized sets of elements are placed on a magnetic layout board and adhere to the magnetic board by magnetic attraction. The elements are placed on the board to simulate the layout of office furniture for a business site. The board can then be turned over and copied on a photocopier to provide a visual image or graphical layout to a user of the furniture floor plan arrangement. The furniture elements used on the board are to scale and represent real furniture pieces supplied by the sales representative""s business.
When the magnetic space planning kit is used in the field, the sales representative can try different furniture layouts in quick succession and immediately eliminate those layouts that are not suitable. At the same time the layouts that are desired can be kept for more detailed drawings and pricing by computer aided design programs. The kit also reduces repetitive sales visits to the customer.
While these space planning kits are of invaluable assistance to a space planning sales representative, there is no mechanisms to automate the furniture plan layout created on the space planning board. The current computer aided design require an operator to input the information from a sketch or drawing into a computer to allow the program to generated a computer aided drawing. To be used at a business site by a sales representative requires the sales representative to carry a portable computer fully loaded with the computer design software and trained in its use. However, when space is being planned at a site, several design changes are required before a tentative decision is reached on one or more designs. This makes the use of the computer in the field much more cumbersome than the space planning kits of my aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,620.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a space planning kit which has the flexibility required by a sales representative in the field to develop furniture layouts in the field and which also maybe quickly integrated into a computerized automated design system.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an assembly comprising a substrate and elements which can be placed on the substrate by a human to create a visual representation, such as, for example, a furniture layout, and which is machine readable for automated entry into a computer system, such as, for example, a computer aided design system.
The present relates to an assembly for creating a two dimension image on a substrate where the image is composed of standardized multiple elements each adapted for secure placement on the substrate and located relative to each other. Each of the elements has an upper surface with borders representing a plan view shape to expose the upper surface as a human visible representation of the relative position and orientation of the elements on the substrate. Each of the of the elements has applied at a predetermined position relative to the upper surface a machine readable identification symbol that identifies the element, the location of the of the element on the substrate, and the orientation of the element.
While the machine readable symbol may be applied to the upper surface as a stamping, embossing, engraving, scoring or printing. Alternatively, the application to the of the symbol relative to the surface may comprise embedding the symbol beneath the surface. Preferably, the symbol is printed on the outer surface of each element as a different color and preferably a color invisible, or not readily visible, to the naked eye.
It should be understood that by of standardized multiple elements it is meant sets or groups of elements where each element of the same group or set carries the same machine readable symbol. These groups of symbols may comprise various pieces of furniture, office equipment, draperies, windows, mats, cupboards, and even game puzzle pieces.
In accordance with the present invention the machine readable symbol comprises a dot applied to the predetermined position on the upper surface of the element to identify the location of the element relative to the substrate. The symbol further comprises a radial line applied to the upper surface of the element extending radially outward from the dot to define the angular orientation of the element. The symbol further has at least one line applied to the upper surface of the element that preferably intersects the radial line at a distance graduated along the radial line from the dot. The at least one line identifies the image or, in the preferred embodiment, a real furniture piece. The at least one line may alternatively not intersect with the radial direction line. The at least one line preferably at least partially encircles the dot as a ring adapted to be spaced from the dot. This at least one line is preferably divisible into a plurality of axially extending ring segments. The element has applied to the upper surface thereof a predetermined number of ring segments that identify the element where each of the elements are distinguished as different elements by the number of ring segments included in the symbol.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided an assembly for creating a two dimension image comprising a substrate and standardized multiple elements. The standardized multiple elements are each adapted for secure placement on the substrate relative to each other and adapted to be scanned to form the image. Each of the elements has an upper surface with borders representing a plan view shape to expose the upper surface as a human visible representation of the relative position and orientation of the elements on the substrate. Each of the of the elements has applied at a predetermined position on the upper surface a machine readable identification symbol that identifies the element, the location of the of the element on the substrate, and the orientation of the element.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a two dimensional model furniture piece scaled and shaped to represent the size of a real furniture piece. The model furniture piece has an upper surface with borders representing a plan view shape of the real furniture piece. The model furniture piece is adapted for secure placement on a layout board, representative of a floor, to expose the upper surface as a human visible representation of the relative position and orientation of the model furniture piece relative to the layout board. The improvement comprises the model furniture piece having applied to a predetermined position on the upper surface a machine readable identification symbol that identifies the real furniture piece represented by the model furniture piece, the location of the real furniture piece on the floor, and the orientation of the real furniture piece on the floor.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a space planning assembly adapted to provide a human readable graphical space planing layout and a machine readable graphical space planing layout, comprising:
a layout board scaled to represent the area of a space to be furnished;
a plurality of sets of two dimensional model pieces scaled and shaped to represent real pieces; each model piece having an upper surface with borders representing a plan view shape of the real piece, each of the model pieces adapted for secure placement on the layout board relative to each other to provide a human readable graphical space planning layout which is readily scannable; and,
each of the model pieces having applied to a predetermined position on the upper surface thereof a machine readable identification symbol that identifies the real piece represented by the model piece, the location of the real piece on the floor, and the orientation of the real piece on the floor.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of scanning into a computer system a two dimensional human readable image composed of standardized multiple elements located relative to each other on a substrate which are scanned to form the image where each of the elements has applied at a predetermined position relative to an upper surface thereof a machine readable identification symbol that identifies the element, the location of the of the element, and the orientation of the element relative to the layout board. The method comprises the steps of:
scanning the substrate in accordance with a first scanning pattern for capturing the machine readable identification symbols in a computer system;
confirming the validity of the symbol in the computer system
discerning co-ordinate location information, symbol orientation information, and symbol identification information from the symbols; and
storing the co-ordinate location information, symbol orientation information, for each symbol discerned in the computer system.